Murder in Name Only
by AliasCWN
Summary: One of Dietrich's men considers the Rat Patrol to be murderers after a friend is killed in an attack on a convoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Murder in Name Only**

BY:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

Karl Litzman climbed into the rear of his halftrack and closed the heavy steel door behind him. The crew assigned to man the 30 caliber machine gun made room for him by pushing aside the boxes containing the extra ammunition for the gun. Karl gripped his weapon tightly and squeezed past the floor mounted gun to stand in the front of the rear compartment.

"You can sit on the boxes." Pvt. Fritz Getz offered.

"Thank you, but I think I want to stand for a while." Karl answered as he eyed the other man in the crew.

"He won't bother you." Fritz promised when he noticed Karl looking at the other soldier.

"I'm not afraid of him." Karl answered. "I just want to stand for a while."

"I bet you duck quick enough when the Rat Patrol attacks the convoy." Pvt. Gunter Weathers laughed.

"Who says they are going to attack?" Karl asked suspiciously. "Have you heard something about it?"

"They attack almost all of the Captain's convoys." Gunter stated. "Why should this one be any different?"

"No one has spotted them in the area for days." Karl reminded him.

"That means nothing with those murderers." Gunter snarled.

"Murderers? Who have they murdered?" Karl argued.

"They killed my friend Otto when they attacked his convoy." Gunter replied.

"But Otto was killed in battle; it was a fortune of war, not murder." Karl argued.

"They attack from ambush and run away as soon as they have done the damage." Gunter argued. "That is not a real battle."

"But again, it is not murder when a soldier is killed in battle. They attack from ambush, yes, but we outnumber them many times over."

` "Are you defending them?" Gunter raised a fist and took a step toward Karl in a threatening manner.

"He is not defending them." Fritz took a step to stand between the two men. "And even you have to admit Gunter, Karl is correct on all counts. We do outnumber them and Otto was killed in battle."

"Now you are defending them too?" Gunter shouted. "Are you both traitors to our homeland?"

"Is there a problem here?"

All three men turned at the question. Their commander, Captain Hans Dietrich stood looking up at them from the ground.

"No sir." All three men answered at once.

"Then I suggest that you get ready to move out; these supplies must be delivered."

"Yes sir." They all answered together again.

The officer gave them a stern look before turning and continuing to walk along the line of trucks behind them.

"See what you have done." Gunter hissed. "You have managed to anger the captain."

"Me?" Karl exclaimed. "You are the one who was shouting."

"Enough!" Fritz hissed. "What are you trying to do? If you two keep arguing the captain will come back here and settle the argument for you."

"The captain will call Otto's death an unfortunate fortune of war." Karl insisted.

"They are murderers and the captain will tell you so if you have the courage to ask him." Gunter snarled.

"Enough!" Fritz ordered again. "Save your arguing for after we return from this delivery. With the Rat Patrol out there we must work together if we hope to survive. If we are fighting each other we are only making their job easier for them!"

"You are right." Karl hung his head. He raised his eyes to look at Gunter. "I know that you mourn the loss of Otto, and I am sorry, but Fritz is right. We must forget out differences for now and concentrate on doing the job we have been assigned. The captain is counting on us."

Gunter swallowed his bitter reply and nodded. "You are right; our duty must be first and foremost. But I warn you, if the Americans attack this convoy, stay out of my way, I intend to kill them, all of them."

Karl swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "I would expect nothing less; they are the enemy."

"And don't you forget it!" Gunter growled. He turned away from Karl and busied himself checking the machine gun.

"Ignore him." Fritz suggested. "He has been cranky ever since the Americans attacked that convoy."

"He lost a close friend, I understand." Karl murmured.

"We've all lost friends." Fritz replied sadly. "Two of those who died were my friends. A third friend is still in the hospital. The Rat Patrol has had an effect on all of us in one manner or another."

Karl nodded solemnly. "This war has affected all of us. I wish it would end."

"It will," Fritz responded with certainty, "when we are victorious."

"I have heard rumors that the war is not going so well for us here in North Africa. Some of the new men claim to have heard stories of Allied victories further north."

"Bah!" Fritz dismissed the rumors. "They don't know anything! They are like women passing along gossip just so that they have something to talk about. If those stories were true our commanders would know about them. My last commander told us stories of great victories over the Allied forces. He said that the Allies are making final desperate stands in many parts of the African theater. According to him this war will be finished soon and we will go back to Europe and clean up there. Our forces are winning on every front."

"Do you really believe that Fritz?" Karl looked the other soldier in the eye earnestly.

"Of course I believe it!" Fritz answered indignantly. "Are you saying that you believe our commanders would lie to us?"

"Perhaps someone lied to them." Karl suggested.

"No, we are winning! This war will end soon, you will see."

Karl nodded reluctantly, not convinced but not willing to argue any further. He didn't want the captain to return and find them still distracted from their duties.

Gunter glared at Karl but he didn't speak to him again as the convoy began to move.

"The captain likes you."

Karl sat on the box next to Fritz and held his tongue.

"He does." Fritz insisted. "I see him watching you sometimes."

"He wants to be sure that I am doing my job." Karl explained.

"No." The other man shook his head. "He looks at you differently than he does the others. Sometimes he smiles when he looks at you."

"I helped save him from some Arabs once." Karl explained simply. "But he does not treat me any differently than anyone else."

"That is true." Fritz agreed. "But he likes you."

"Perhaps." Karl conceded. "But if he catches me goofing off I will still end up on report. I need to concentrate on watching the desert for an ambush."

Fritz fell silent while Karl thought about what he had said. While it was true that the captain did speak to him on occasion about things other than his duties, he didn't think the captain favored him in any other way. They shared a deep respect for the members of the enemy Rat Patrol but Karl hoped that both of them had managed to keep that a secret from the other soldiers on the base.

Karl had never told anyone that he had helped the Allied unit rescue one of their own from the German base. What he didn't know was that the captain had also helped them on a previous occasion. Karl kept his friendship with them a secret for fear that his fellow soldiers would consider him a traitor. While he had helped them to rescue Tully, it hadn't resulted in any harm to any of his fellow soldiers. He still considered himself to be a loyal German soldier, just one with an unusual relationship with certain enemy soldiers. The relationship left him feeling conflicted and even a bit guilty at times, but he was determined not to let those feelings ruin the friendship they had forged.


	2. Chapter 2

**Murder in Name Only**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 2

"Prepare for an attack!" The call came over the radio in the halftrack and the driver passed the warning back to the crew in the rear.

"It's the Americans!" Gunter shouted. He checked the action of the big gun before he searched the desert around them for the two small jeeps. The minutes ticked by with no sign of the fast moving adversaries, causing Gunter to curse nervously.

"Perhaps it's not them." Karl suggested.

"Who else would it be?" Gunter demanded.

"Perhaps Arabs." Fritz suggested before Karl could answer.

"Or other Americans." Karl added.

"We are too far behind our own lines for it to be any other Americans." Gunter argued.

All three of them fell silent as their halftrack followed the convoy into a valley with high dunes on both sides. Sweat rolled down their faces and burned their eyes as they searched the high mounds for any sign of movement. The sun blinded them when they looked up but that was where the enemy was most likely to be so they braved the glare.

The halftrack seemed to crawl along the narrow road as its tense crew continued to scan the desert around them. Only silence and dust devils rewarded their efforts.

"The Americans know that this convoy is ready for them." Gunter boasted as the jeeps failed to put in an appearance. "We have scared them off."

"Don't get overconfident." Fritz warned in a low voice. "They may be waiting for us to drop our guard."

"I am not afraid of them!" The burly gunner bragged. "Let them come!" He patted the heavy machine gun in front of him. "If they dare to challenge us I will get my revenge for Otto at long last."

"Otto is dead!" Fritz barked in frustration. "And if you don't pay attention we may all join him much sooner than we wish!"

"I am paying attention." Gunter replied with a little less bravado. "But they won't come." Gunter sounded disappointed.

For his part Karl preferred to avoid a confrontation with the Rat Patrol altogether; with the Arabs too if the truth be known. He wasn't immune to the effects of a bullet and he knew it. Delivering the supplies with no trouble and returning quietly to the base sounded good to him. That hope was dashed as the first shot shattered the tranquility of the day.

The driver immediately picked up speed in order to get the vehicle out of the tight confines of the valley. Bullets bounced off the side of the armor as the driver raised his metal shields.

"Get us a clear shot!" Gunter yelled over the din of the gunfire.

"A clear shot at what?" The distracted driver yelled over his shoulder.

The truck behind them exploded as its cargo of ammunition was hit by the bullets that rained down on them from above. A mortar shell hit the next truck in line and that one burst into flames and ground to a halt. The burning truck blocked the narrow passage through the valley making it harder for the remaining trucks to escape the destruction.

Karl turned and saw the last halftrack in line take a direct hit from another mortar shell. The heavy vehicle was tossed into the air before dropping onto its side and blocking any retreat in that direction. The trucks trapped between the two vehicles rolled to a stop as their drivers jumped to the ground to take cover and make a fight of it.

Ducking below the armored sides of the halftrack Karl looked for a target to shoot at but there was too much smoke and dust to see anything clearly. Above the rising dust the attackers had a much better view. Their fire continued to decimate the trapped convoy.

"Get us out of here!" Fritz called over the roar of the battle.

The driver didn't need any encouragement. Flooring the gas pedal he pushed past another truck that had fallen victim to the ambush and followed the leaders of the convoy out into the open desert. Even as they cleared the valley an American tank topped a dune and fired on the lead halftrack. The shell flipped the heavy vehicle throwing the crew onto the sand at the mercy of the tank's gunners. The disoriented crewmen were easy targets for the American guns.

Karl swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched his countrymen die. His own weapon was useless against a tank and so far he hadn't spotted any targets he could hope to defeat. The tank turned its turret toward them and Karl yelled a warning to their driver. He lost his balance and fell as the vehicle veered sharply to the side and nearly tipped over when it hit a newly formed shell crater. The driver straightened it out and swerved again as another shell hit in front of them. Dirt and rocks pelted them as they ducked to avoid the worst of it.

Another shell whined as it passed them and Karl covered his head, expecting more rocks. The driver drove into the resulting dust cloud and headed for a small dune that extended out from the larger hills they had escaped.

"Are you crazy? Take us out into the open desert!" Fritz yelled at the driver.

The driver ignored him and continued to head for the shelter the dune offered them from the attacking tank. By the time the dust cleared the halftrack was behind the dune and headed for anywhere that was away from there. Karl and Gunter watched for the tank as the halftrack drew further and further away from the convoy.

"Where are you taking us?" Fritz screamed at the driver.

The man either didn't hear him or refused to answer. Karl wasn't sure which explanation was correct but his own ears were ringing from all of the noise. He realized that he could no longer tell what was happening with the rest of the convoy. There was still some gunfire and an occasional mortar round being fired but they were so indistinct that he couldn't decide who was winning.

"Where are we going?" Fritz turned to Karl and Gunter. "We need to go back."

"Back to what?" Gunter asked. "Back to surrender or to die? They have tanks, we are just one vehicle. Four men, what can four men do?"

Karl thought of the Rat Patrol and the conversation he had had with Gunter earlier but he kept silent.

"The others are back there." Fritz argued.

"They are either dead or prisoners." Gunter argued. "The Americans had tanks. They had mortars. You saw the other halftracks being destroyed one by one. What would you have us do Fritz?"

"Then we are lost." Fritz sighed. "They will hunt us down or we will be lost in the desert and die of thirst."

"Doomsayer." Karl snorted. "We have a vehicle and water. Our driver is experienced and he will get us back to our base. Things are not as bad as you would have us think."

"Our driver is running scared and won't even answer our questions." Fritz responded. "And in case you haven't noticed, our vehicle was damaged by that last shell."

For the first time Karl noticed the grinding sound coming from the track on their transport. With each rotation it groaned in protest. Dropping to the floor Karl covered his face with his hands. "All right." He murmured after considering their options for a few minutes. "The driver will get us as far as the vehicle will take us. We are less than a day from our destination. Surely we have enough water for the four of us to walk that far."

Fritz kicked the water can on the floor by his feet. "Some fool forgot to fill it." The hollow echo told them clearer than words that the can was empty. "And we don't have any canteens."

"We are lost!" Gunter wailed in despair.

"We are not!" Karl insisted. "We can walk at night. All we have to do is let the driver guide us."

"Do you mean that driver?" Gunter asked in defeat. He pointed at the man behind the wheel of the halftrack.

Karl and Fritz turned to see the soldier leaning awkwardly to one side. He still gripped the wheel and his foot was still on the gas pedal, but if the amount of blood was any indication, he wasn't going to be driving much further.

Karl looked behind them but there was no sign of any pursuit. Lowering his weapon to the floor he climbed into the passenger seat and reached for the driver. Even as Karl stretched across the seats the driver's body shuddered and collapsed limply against the door. His foot came off of the gas pedal and the halftrack slowed and stopped. Without the constant screeching of the damaged track the vehicle ceased to drown out the occasional shot in the distance.

"They are still fighting." Fritz observed.

"Not for long." Gunter replied. As if an omen, an explosion followed a flurry of shots. The gunfire stopped and the desert fell deathly quiet as he three men listened.

"We have to go back!" Fritz insisted.

"We can't." Karl argued. "Our vehicle is damaged and we don't know how far it will take us. Besides, the three of us are not going to make a difference now. It sounds like it is over." He thought again of the four men of the Rat Patrol and what they might accomplish. Wishing they were there, he tried to decide what they would do in his situation. After a moment of thought he realized that they would focus on what they could do to save themselves.

Fritz looked at Karl and then at Gunter. "Karl is right." He admitted with a sigh. "We would not be able to do anything to help them and our getting caught would help no one."

"Then we agree?"

"Agree to what?" Gunter asked.

"We go as far as this vehicle will take us and we walk the rest of the way." Karl explained.

Gunter and Fritz looked at each other and Gunter nodded. "We agree." Fritz replied.


	3. Chapter 3

**Murder in Name Only**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"What's for supper tonight?" Troy asked as they parked the jeeps in a wadi and got ready to make a camp.

Tully shrugged. "I don't know, it's Hitch's turn to cook."

Not so long ago Troy would have made a face and a snide comment, now he just smiled and nodded. "I guess I'll just have to wait and see then." Hitch had taken a few cooking lessons and the meals had improved because of them. Troy actually looked forward to the nights that Hitch cooked now.

"Troy, can we go over the maps while we are waiting for supper?" Moffitt held up the cylinder holding the maps and jerked his head toward the jeep hood.

"Sure Doctor, what's the problem?" Troy smiled easily and headed for the jeep. They'd had an easy day and they were all relaxed as they headed for their home base. Another day would find them back at the base where they hoped to get a few days off.

The British sergeant spread a map out on the hood and pulled out a penlight to illuminate the bit of parchment. "I thought I saw smoke far off in the distance just before we pulled in here. Perhaps tomorrow morning we should take a look and see what we can find."

Troy propped one foot on the bumper of the jeep and rested one elbow on his knee. Leaning forward he looked at the map. "Show me."

Moffitt began to look for their current location on the map. Once that was established he began to calculate the area where he saw the smoke. "Right about here Troy. It was faint but I'm certain I saw something."

"Any chance it could have been a camp of some sort? Maybe Arab or German?"

"Not likely." Moffitt shook his head. "I think there was too much smoke for a camp. It was already starting to disburse but here seemed to be a lot of it. I was thinking more along the lines of a burning vehicle."

"We don't have any troops this far behind the German lines do we?"

"I don't know." The Brit answered. "Nothing that I've heard of, but that doesn't mean much. They don't tell us everything you know."

"Yeah, I know." Troy growled.

"Maybe they aren't American."

"British?"

Again Moffitt shrugged.

Troy rubbed a hand across his face and nodded. "Okay Doctor," he sighed, "we'll get some sleep and check it out in the morning. I don't want to run into a situation I know nothing about while it's dark."

"It might be a good idea to alert the lads." The Brit suggested. "Just in case."

"Yeah, you're right, it can't hurt." Troy looked over to where Tully was just doing the last of the maintenance on his jeep. "Tully, you have first watch. Stay alert, Moffitt thinks we may have someone sharing the desert with us tonight."

Tully nodded and chewed thoughtfully on his matchstick. His eyes wandered to the British sergeant. "You worried about that smoke you saw earlier?"

"Yes." Moffitt admitted. "It was close enough that some of those involved may still be in the neighborhood."

"You mean the guys that got beat or the ones that did the beating?" Tully asked.

"Either, both, or perhaps just someone like us who got curious." Moffitt answered.

Tully nodded and grinned. "I had a feeling you were going to say something like that."

Moffitt smiled. "Being all-knowing is an inexact science. Just stay alert." The sergeant warned.

"You got it Doc. If that crystal ball of yours tells you anything else, don't forget to share it with the rest of us."

Moffitt placed his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes. Pretending to concentrate, he held the pose for half a minute. "I sense that we are going to be eating another of Cal's mother's special recipes. My intuition tells me that it will be another enjoyable meal."

"Shucks Doc, even I could have predicted that." Tully laughed.

"Considering the meals that Hitch used to cook I'm considering putting Cal in for a medal for going above and beyond." Troy grinned.

"I heard that!" Hitch called from next to the fire.

Troy laughed. "Admit it Hitch, Cal deserves it."

Hitch smiled and nodded. "Okay, maybe he does, but he didn't do it alone, I helped."

"You got me there pal." Troy replied.

"Did you hear the warning?" Moffitt asked once the laughter had died down.

"I heard Doc." Hitch nodded. "Do you really think someone stuck around with that smoke acting as a beacon?"

"Better safe than sorry."

"Okay, I'll fix supper and then put the fire out. I wouldn't want anyone to find us by following the glow or the smell of smoke." He looked toward Troy and smiled mischievously. "Maybe I shouldn't have taken lessons from Cal. If anybody is out there and they smell my cooking they'll just naturally have to follow the scent straight to our camp."

Troy grinned. "That doesn't mean we'll share. Let them find their own supper."

"That's just plain rude Sarge." Hitch was laughing as he turned back to stir the food.

"I'll be on guard." Tully chuckled as he picked up a weapon and headed out of camp. Keeping his back to the camp so that he wouldn't ruin his night vision by looking at the fire, he circled slowly around the camp.

Off in the distance he heard a pack of jackals hunting. He could hear their occasional cries as they searched for anything weak or sick that they could overcome. Cowardly animals, they didn't pose much of a threat to armed and healthy men but Tully kept track of them just the same. While he wasn't worried about an attack, the pack could still alert any enemy to their presence in the area.

Hitch brought him his supper and the two of them listened to the hunting pack as they ate.

"Sounds like they are on the trail of something." Hitch stated.

"Yeah, I think they picked up a trail a few minutes ago. The pitch of their cries changed and I think they all started running together instead of being all spread out." Tully agreed. "I'm keeping track of them just in case they head this way."

"I told you," Hitch grinned, "the smell of my cooking would draw them in."

"Let's hope not." Tully added seriously. "A pack that size could get vicious."

Hitch left and Tully continued to listen to the far off cries of the pack. Moffitt's quiet call surprised him; he hadn't realized it was so late. "Come ahead Doc."

"Did Hitch bring you your supper?" The Brit asked as he took his place beside Tully.

"Yeah, another of Cal's mother's recipes." Tully grinned. "I'm still getting used to the fact that Hitch can cook something that's not only edible, but it's actually good."

"Tully." Moffitt warned.

"Don't worry Sarge; he turned in an hour ago." Tully pointed to where the blond was asleep in his bedroll. It didn't surprise Moffitt that Tully knew where everyone was sleeping. "Do you really think Sarge will put Cal in for a medal?"

This time the sergeant smiled at the joke. "It's possible. Troy is rather pleased with the results of his efforts. I can't say that I am too upset about it either."

"I know what you mean." Tully nodded. "I think Hitch is happy about the results too. When he brought me my supper he was teasing me about his cooking drawing in that pack of jackals I've been hearing all night." Tully paused. "Funny thing, they do seem to be headed our way."

"They shouldn't bother us." Moffitt assured him.

"Yeah I know. I was just thinking that they might scent us and give our presence away if anyone else is listening to them. They picked up a trail earlier and have been moving this way ever since. I'm not worried about them but I don't like the idea that they might alert anyone else out there."

"Good point. I'll try to keep track of them."

"They are still some distance away. I guess this clear air is carrying the sound quite a ways."

"Sound does carry well at night. If they come too close it might be a good idea to alert Troy and Hitch. I'll call for you if I think we need to wake them."

"Okay Doc, I'll sleep close."

"I wouldn't worry too much. Most of the soldiers out here don't understand the desert and its creatures. Most of them tend to ignore the warnings given by the wildlife."

"Yeah, but what if it's some Arabs listening?" Tully asked as he turned away.

Moffitt looked out over the desert and sighed. "Another good point." Like Tully he kept track of the progress of the pack as they hunted their prey.


	4. Chapter 4

**Murder in Name Only**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 4

Tully Pettigrew awoke with a start. He wasn't sure what woke him but the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. Pushing his blankets aside he quietly picked up a rifle and made his way carefully to where Moffitt was walking the perimeter. He didn't see the sergeant but he called softly anyway. "It's me Doc."

He gripped his rifle tightly as he listened to the jackals. Their cries were no longer the long, mournful howls of earlier. Now they were quick, sounding excited as the animals raced across the desert. Tully scanned the desert but he couldn't spot any movement, not the jackals or their prey. He half expected to see them come charging over the dunes headed straight for their camp. Hitch's earlier comment about the smell of the food drawing them made Tully uneasy. Did the scent still linger enough to actually draw the pack to them? He could make out the cries of each individual jackal as they drew closer.

"Tully?"

Tully jerked as Moffitt called his name.

"Is everything all right?"

"I guess so Doc. The cries of the jackals woke me. I thought I'd come out here and help you keep watch." Tully listened again. "They sound awfully close."

"I believe they are." Moffitt nodded. "I was about to wake you. I checked your bedroll but you weren't there. I was worried for a second."

"Sorry Doc." Tully jerked his head toward the sound. "What do you think is drawing them in?"

"I don't know." The sergeant answered. "But they sound rather excited. Perhaps you should go wake Troy and Hitch."

A few minutes later Troy joined Moffitt. "Tully says we have a problem." Troy listened to the jackals. "Do you think they can still smell the food from our supper?"

"No." Moffitt shook his head. "They seem to have stopped over that way. Whatever they are hunting is over there."

"Not us then?"

"No."

Troy stood listening to the yips and snarls for a few more minutes. "Let's go take a look." He decided.

"I thought you didn't want to venture into the unknown in the dark." Moffitt reminded him as he started to follow.

"That was over there. This is close to home. I like to know what is happening in our back yard." Troy turned as the two privates joined them. "You two stay by the jeeps. If you hear any gunshots you bring the jeeps and wait for our call. Moffitt and I will check it out as quietly as possible."

"We'll pack up the camp while we wait." Hitch offered.

"Good idea." Troy nodded. "That way if we can't handle what's out there we are ready to run." Troy joined Moffitt and the two sergeants disappeared into the inky darkness.

"This way." Moffitt whispered as he led the way along a narrow ridge that led away from their camp.

"Any idea what's out here?" Troy whispered as he followed the other sergeant.

"None whatsoever, other than the jackals, that is."

Troy scanned the desert ahead of them for anything out of the ordinary. The snarls and cries of the desert predators were closer now. Both sergeants stained their ears but there was nothing to tell them what had drawn the pack to the area around their camp.

There was more snarling and then one of the jackals yipped.

"It sounds as if they are fighting among themselves." Moffitt whispered as the two men paused by some rocks to listen.

"Over what?"

"I thought that that was what we were here to find out." The Brit replied with a cocky smile.

"Lead the way if you're so smart." Troy growled.

Keeping low the British sergeant led the way toward a wadi where the sounds seemed to originate.

Troy kicked a rock as he shifted his foot to follow and both men froze. The snarling and growling continued uninterrupted. Glancing at Moffitt, Troy waited for Moffitt to start forward again.

Moffitt was still trying to figure out what had caught the attention of the jackals. There was another yip from one of the animals and Moffitt caught a flash of movement near the edge of the wadi. Holding a finger to his lips Moffitt waited for Troy to indicate that he understood. At Troy's nod Moffitt pointed at his own chest and made a sweep with his arm. He pointed at an outcropping of rocks and mimicked hiding. Pointing at the other sergeant he waved at a rock overhang on the edge of the wadi. Troy nodded again. The two men split up, each moving slowly so that they wouldn't disturb any more rocks. The jackals in the wadi continued to snarl and snap their teeth.

As he listened to the snapping of the teeth Troy remembered looking into the yellow eyes of a jackal and wondering how it would feel to have those sharp fangs tearing into his flesh. Thankfully he hadn't found out but the thought had chilled him to the bone. The eyes had watched his every move with an intensity that had shaken him to the core. Only the weapon in his hand had kept the animal at bay. Even though he had been wounded at the time the animal had sensed his willingness to fight and had chosen to seek easier prey. That jackal still invaded his sleep at times. But that had been a solitary animal, whatever was below face a pack of the vicious scavengers.

Stepping from rock to rock and shadow to shadow he listened for any sign that they weren't alone on the ridge. He could make out the shadowy shape of the other sergeant darting from rock to rock as he approached the rim of the wadi. Below them the jackals continued to make enough noise to cover any sound they made.

Troy saw Moffitt reach the rock outcropping and drop to his stomach. Still thirty feet from the ledge, Troy concentrated on his footing, counting on Moffitt to warn him of any immediate danger. Just before he reached the ledge he glanced back at the other sergeant. There was enough moonlight to make out the shape of the British sergeant leaning over the rim of the wadi staring at something below. Pushing forward Troy reached the ledge and peered over the side.

The jackals were darting around a small grouping of rocks near the other side of the wadi. In the dark shadows behind the rocks whatever the jackals were hunting was trapped with nowhere to go. With a steep sand slope behind them and the jackals in front, the rocks had become a prison.

Troy crawled to the other edge of the ledge to try to get a better view. He froze as he spotted movement. An arm appeared and threw a rock at the circling jackals. One of the animals yipped in fright or pain and darted away. Others immediately crowded in to take its place. Troy glanced over at Moffitt trying to determine if the other sergeant had a better view of the trapped man. Moffitt caught him looking and shook his head. Troy motioned for Moffitt to stay put while he moved to get a better look.

The rocks still hid the trapped man and Troy couldn't find a better view. After searching the wadi and finding no sign of a vehicle the sergeant made a decision. Running down the slope where the rocks hid his movements Troy stopped in the entrance to the wadi. Not the tracker that Moffitt or even Tully was, Troy was still able to determine that there were only a few men at most trapped inside. The fact that they were using rocks instead of rifles to drive the animals away was telling. The sergeant climbed on top of a large flat rock and checked his position. Satisfied that he could defend himself against the entire pack if necessary, Troy checked his weapon.

The bullets hit the ground behind the still circling jackals. The animals reacted instantly. Tails between their legs, the cowardly animals raced up the steep slope and vanished into the desert.

"Who's in there?" Troy called when no one emerged from behind the rocks. The sounds of a whispered conversation reached his ears but he couldn't make out what was being said. When there was no response he shouted up to Moffitt. "Moffitt, tell them to come out. Try German first and if that doesn't work, try Arabic.

"We are coming out!" A voice called out in English before Moffitt could respond.


	5. Chapter 5

**Murder in Name Only**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 5

Both jeeps were sitting with the motors running as the privates waited for their sergeants. The sound of gunfire had pulled them from their camp and now they watched the wadi anxiously. Both privates had spotted the pack of jackals high-tailing it for parts unknown after the brief chatter of gunfire. The animals didn't look like they were going to stop running until they ran out of landscape so the two privates ignored them. After the gunshots they were more worried about other humans drawn by the noise. But mostly they were worried about their sergeants.

The gunshots had come from an American machine gun, the same type both sergeants carried. There hadn't been any return fire, a fact that hadn't escaped the notice of either driver. Still, there hadn't been any call from Troy or Moffitt either. Men and machines waited for the call to action.

"Tully!"

"I saw it." Tully whispered in response to his fellow driver's hissed warning. The slight movement at the top of a nearby ridge was hard to see in the dark but both privates had spotted it. Both men gripped their weapons more tightly and continued to watch for movement.

"Tully. Hitch." The call had both men relaxing as they lowered their weapons.

"Here Doc." Tully called in return.

"Bring the jeeps around and pull into the wadi." The British sergeant stood at the top of the ridge and pointed to the entrance to the wadi.

"Be right there Doc."

Both privates returned their weapons to their holders and slid into their seats. Putting the jeeps in gear, they guided the small vehicles around the obstacles and into the wadi. Moffitt was just sliding down the slope from above. As their eyes adjusted to the gloom they saw Troy standing over three prone figures.

"Need help Sarge?" Hitch asked as he pulled up next to Troy. In the dark he couldn't see the prisoners very well but he realized they were German.

"Yeah, bring a canteen. These guys need water, some food, and a good night's rest."

Hitch nodded as he reached for the canteen. "We can feed them back at our camp if you want them to have something hot."

"Even bad food would be welcome." One of the prisoners responded in English.

Hitch froze, about to greet Karl happily, but a look from Troy warned him that it would be a bad idea. The sergeant gave a small shake of his head before continuing. "One of these guys speaks English but I'm not sure about the others."

"I am the only one who speaks English Sergeant." Karl replied in a subdued tone.

"Still it might not go too well for you if we appear to be too friendly." Troy warned. "How much do they know about us and you?"

"You are right." Karl admitted, sounding relieved. "I was so glad to be rescued from those jackals that I did not consider the consequences. I understand that we must not appear to be too friendly."

"It's good to see you." Troy responded gruffly. "I'm glad we got here when we did."

"We're glad to see you anyway." Hitch added in a neutral tone. "We'll get you fixed up in no time."

"My burly friend does not like you." Karl warned as Hitch stepped toward them with the canteen. "He says you are murderers. He blames you for the death of his friend."

Hitch paused. "Did we kill him?"

"Yes," Karl explained. "You attacked his convoy, he was a truck driver."

"Be careful around him Hitch, he looks big." Troy warned.

Hitch nodded and reached down to hand Karl the canteen. Before he could draw back Gunter launched himself at him. Hitch dodged to the side as Troy took a step toward them.

Despite his recent ordeal Gunter was fast. He hit Hitch in the side of the throat, knocking him off balance.

Hitch twisted, trying to pull loose as the burly German grabbed his arm and attempted to pull him down. Gunter head butted him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. Fighting for breath, Hitch could only roll away and try to avoid the next blow.

Weakened by his journey across the desert Gunter was too slow to avoid the rifle stock that Troy aimed at his head. The bulky German collapsed on top of Hitch, pinning him to the ground.

Hitch struggled to push the heavy body off of him. Twisting, he tried to roll out from under the dead weight. Moffitt grunted a command in German and Hitch looked over to see the third German settle back to the ground. Karl got up and helped lift the unconscious Gunter off of Hitch.

Between Karl and Troy they managed to drag the big German back to lie beside his friend. Fritz grabbed Karl's arm. "They will kill him for that! We must do something!"

"No." Karl argued. "We need to wait and see what happens. If we try anything now we could all wind up dead." He whispered urgently. Leaning closer to Fritz he glanced over at Moffitt. "Remember, one of them speaks German."

Fritz glance toward the British sergeant and slumped to the ground. "Do you think he heard me?"

"Does it matter?" Karl asked. "What is done is done."

Fritz nodded forlornly. "What will happen to us?"

"My guess, we will end up in a POW camp." Karl answered.

"Even Gunter?"

"Even Gunter." Karl nodded. "They haven't killed him yet so it is possible that they will not."

Fritz eyed their captors warily. "They gave us water." He remembered. Hope began to take root.

Karl picked up the canteen that Hitch had dropped and handed it to Fritz. "Yes they did, and they are talking about feeding us too."

"Tully, tie the big guy. The other two can help put him in the jeep and we'll head back to camp. Once they're fed we'll tie all of them up until morning." Troy helped Hitch to his feet as he gave Tully his instructions. "Are you okay Hitch?"

"Yeah Sarge, I'm okay." Hitch answered ruefully. "Don't say it Sarge, I know, you warned me."

"Yeah I did." Troy agreed. "But even I wasn't expecting him to move that quick. He was pretty fast for such a big guy."

Hitch rubbed his stomach where Gunter had head butted him. "He hits pretty hard too."

"I suggest that we keep two guards on them any time they are untied." Moffitt spoke up. "We wouldn't want a repeat of this event. We may not be so lucky the next time."

"I get it Doc." Hitch nodded. "I'll get them something to eat as soon as we get back to camp."

"Nothing fancy." Troy ordered. "We might not want to keep the fire going any longer than necessary. Just get them something to fill them up. They can wait until morning for anything else."

"Right Sarge."

"Let's get them into the jeeps. Those shots might have been heard. Stay alert for anybody else wandering around out here."

Karl and Fritz helped Gunter into the jeep behind Tully. Moffitt tied him to the base of the 50 and ordered Fritz to take the seat beside Tully. To be safe, Moffitt tied his hands too.

Karl was ordered to sit next to Hitch.

"Okay, we have to tie you too." Troy explained as Karl did what he was told.

Karl nodded and put his hands together in front of his body. Troy tied his hands loosely while Fritz watched. Troy and Moffitt climbed into the rear of their jeeps and seven men rode back toward their hastily abandoned camp.

"So what happened Karl? How did you and your friends end up wandering around alone in the desert at night without any weapons?"

"Our convoy was attacked." Karl explained. He went on to describe the ambush and the ordeal that followed. "Our halftrack was damaged and our driver was killed. We drove as far as the vehicle would take us and then we were forced to walk."

"Why not radio for help?"

"Our radio was damaged."

"What about weapons? What happened to them?"

Karl hung his head. "We kept walking even after we ran out of water." He explained about the empty water can. "After a while the weapons seemed to be just too heavy to carry. We dropped them somewhere along the way."

"That little mistake almost got you killed." Hitch remarked.

"I know." Karl admitted. "My captain would tell me how foolish it is to make such a simple mistake."

"Your captain wasn't out there walking across the desert with no water." Troy pointed out. "It's easy to make mistakes when you are seriously dehydrated. The dehydration makes you confused, you can't think straight."

"I suppose you are right." Karl admitted. "Now that we have been saved I can see the wisdom of your observations."

"Hindsight is 20/20." Hitch nodded. Then he had to explain the meaning to Karl.

Troy chuckled. "Okay Karl, enough of this second guessing your decisions. Let's get you fed and let you rest."

"We have a long ride tomorrow do we not?" Karl asked.

Troy nodded. "We're a long way from anywhere."

"That is true." Karl agreed. "We got lost and I am afraid we were going in the wrong direction. It is fortunate for us that you found us."

"It is fortunate that the jackals announced your presence or we would not have even known anyone was in the area." Troy corrected.

"Then I am thankful for the jackals after all." Karl sighed. "Although they did give us quite a fright."

"I'm sure they did." Troy smiled.

"About that food." Karl changed the subject after shuddering at the memory of the animals. "Doesn't the Geneva Convention prohibit cruel and unusual punishment?" He glanced over at Hitch. "Did you not tell me that Hitch was a terrible cook?"

Hitch nearly choked at the comment.

"Beggars can't be choosers." Troy warned. "Besides, Hitch has been taking lessons. I'm sure you will be suitably impressed by his newest talent."

"I won't complain." Karl promised. "I am hungry enough to eat this jeep."

"I'd let you starve first." Hitch shot back. "But I think I can find you something else to eat."

"I will praise your cooking no matter how terrible it turns out to be." Karl promised.

"Now you sound like Sarge." Hitch grumbled.

"I consider that a compliment." Karl answered. "But no matter, even if you poison me we will still be friends." He grinned over his shoulder at Troy.

"Seriously Karl, I think it would be better if we downplay any show of friendliness between us. That big guy might get ideas."

"I understand. Once we reach your camp we will be enemies again. Gunter thinks you are all murderers for killing Otto. He already thinks I defend you too much. I tried to tell him that it was a fortune of war but he refuses to see reason."

"I guess I can see his point." Troy nodded. "It's only natural to want to lay blame when you lose someone close to you."

"He wishes to see you all dead."

Troy nodded. "We are the enemy Karl."

"I have not forgotten." Karl replied. "I just do not feel the same about the enemy anymore."


	6. Chapter 6

**Murder in Name Only**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 6

With the prisoners fed and secured for the night Troy and Moffitt discussed what to do with them.

"We can't just turn them loose." Troy lamented.

"No, that would look suspicious." Moffitt agreed. "The last thing we want is for someone to start questioning our relationship with certain Germans soldiers." Moffitt glanced over to see if any of the prisoners were listening to their conversation.

"Have they said anything to make you think that they are suspicious?"

"No," Moffitt replied, "they barely talk. That is understandable though, they know I speak German."

"If we let them escape they'll only get lost again and we may not be able to save them a second time." Troy responded.

"We may have no choice but to take them back as POW's." Moffitt admitted. "I hate to do that to him."

"That's not how I want it to end either but we can't take a chance that may compromise him or us. His own side would kill him if they thought he had befriended us." Troy argued.

Moffitt looked over to where Tully slept rolled in his blankets. "I hope the lads understand, they've become rather attached to one of our guests."

Troy looked at Tully before looking up to where Hitch stood guard. "We may have to explain it to them but I think they will understand once we point out all of the problems."

"I don't envy you that task." The British sergeant sighed.

"The burden of leadership." Troy groaned solemnly. "I'll tell them after breakfast."

"Are we going to check out the ambush site?"

Troy nodded. "I have to admit, I am kind of curious to find out who is sharing our hunting grounds. Captain Boggs didn't say anything about any of our units being this far into German territory."

"We've been out nearly a week, perhaps our neighbors just moved in." The other sergeant suggested.

"We've had radio contact. I would have thought that he would have at least mentioned it."

"This is the Army old man. The ranks never know what is going on."

"Still."

Moffitt chuckled as another thought occurred to him. "Perhaps our new neighbors are not supposed to be out here. Navigation is not exactly easy, especially if you are new to the desert. It is entirely possible that one of our units got themselves lost."

"Just in case I'm going to contact the base and let them know that we are not alone out here. If some unit got lost they may want us to find them and guide them home."

"Before Dietrich finds them you mean?"

"Yeah, he'll be wondering what happened to his convoy."

"It sounds like tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I think I'll turn in. My watch was cut short so call me if you need me to take another turn."

Troy nodded. "Good night Doctor."

Long after Moffitt fell asleep Troy lay awake trying to figure out what they were going to do with the prisoners.

The next morning found them at the ambush site right after breakfast. Troy had talked to both privates and they had claimed to understand his decision.

"British." Moffitt stated as he searched the ambush site. "These shell casings come from a British rifle." He held a hand full of spent casings. "That could explain why Captain Boggs didn't mention it."

"Karl said an American tank attacked them."

"Our forces have been known to use some of your American equipment. Perhaps they borrowed a tank from one of your units."

The two sergeants stood on the hill overlooking the valley where the convoy had been attacked. Burned out vehicles littered the valley and out into the desert beyond. The fires had burned out during the night but the blackened wrecks were mute testimony to the violence that had taken place. Craters, some already half filled by the sand blown around by the night winds were evidence of mortars and other high powered shells. Scrape marks on some of the rocks told a tale of heavy vehicles on tracks having passed over the terrain.

"Tank treads did that." Moffitt pointed at the rocks. "One, maybe more. It's too bad that Karl didn't see any of the soldiers. It would have saved us a trip if we had known they were British."

"Not really. I had another reason for wanting to come here this morning." Troy admitted quietly.

"Dietrich?"

"Yeah."

"You think he'll come to investigate the ambush?"

"Don't you? He's too good of an officer to ignore this. He'll want to know what happened and who was involved."

Moffitt nodded thoughtfully. "He could be on his way here right now."

"I'm counting on it." Troy replied. "Let's see what else we can learn about this attack. Captain Boggs will want a full report."

"It may take me a while to find all of the evidence." The Brit replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I'll tell Hitch and Tully to stay alert, we may be here a while." Troy answered with a grin.

Troy was helping Moffitt examine the wreckage of a truck when Tully called from the top of the hill. Troy looked at Moffitt who smiled and nodded.

"Okay, let's see how this plays out." Heading for the top of the hill Troy clawed his way to where Tully stood. "What is it Tully?"

The private handed him the binoculars. "Company coming Sarge."

Troy looked where Tully indicated and spotted the fast moving column. He watched them for a minute, trying to gauge how quickly they would arrive at the scene of the ambush. Handing the binoculars back to Tully he nodded. "Keep your eye on them; let me know when they are about ten minutes out."

Tully chewed on his matchstick and nodded. His eyes went to the prisoners that Hitch was guarding. Troy had explained his decision but neither private had been happy about it. They had understood but they hadn't been happy. Now as Troy gave him his orders Tully chewed on the matchstick and kept silent. Troy hadn't said anything, but Tully had his suspicions. He watched the approaching convoy and smiled.

"I'm going to go tell Hitch what is going on. Moffitt is almost done down there and then we can get out of here before that column gets here."

"We're going to have to travel light if we want to outrun them." Tully warned. "If we let them get too close they'll spot us for sure."

"I know but we need this information." Troy smiled. "Don't worry, if we have to, we can lighten the load."

Tully nodded. "Okay Sarge." Tully smiled as he lifted the binoculars to his eyes and located the column again. He could hear Troy explaining about the convoy to Hitch.

"We're overloaded Sarge." Hitch protested. "The jeeps will overheat if we try to outrun a column with all of this weight."

"Do your best." Troy replied shortly.

"We're going to have to do some walking or the jeeps are going to let us sit." Hitch told Troy.

"I know that Hitch!" Troy sounded frustrated. "What do you want me to do?"

The blond fell silent, eying the prisoners.

"We'll be okay as long as Moffitt doesn't take too long." Troy assured him.

Fritz watched the exchange with curiosity. "What is happening Karl?" He whispered after Troy turned and walked away.

"One of our columns is coming." Karl explained just as quietly. "The Americans are worried that their jeeps will overheat with all of us on board."

"They plan to kill us." Gunter hissed.

"I don't know." Karl answered. "They did not speak of that."

"Surely they would not risk capture just to take us back with them." Fritz reasoned.

"I don't think they want to kill us." Karl replied. "None of them have suggested it."

"Yet." Gunter finished for him.

"They have treated us well so far." Karl argued.

"That is true Gunter." Fritz agreed.

"They clubbed me over the head."

"You attacked one of them." Karl reminded him.

"They did not kill you then." Fritz agreed.

"They didn't want anyone to hear the shot." Gunter argued.

"They fired at the jackals." Karl pointed out. "And they could have clubbed you to death or used the knives they carry."

"Karl has a point." Fritz agreed again. "Maybe they aren't as blood thirsty as you think Gunter. Maybe they aren't murderers after all."

"We shall see." Gunter muttered. Hitch looked over at them and the three prisoners fell silent.

"Sarge, they're getting pretty close." Tully called from where he watched the column.

"Moffitt, are you done?" Troy called.

Moffitt ran up the slope. "Ready when you are Troy."

"How close are they Tully?"

"Maybe ten minutes out." Tully answered as he glanced over at the prisoners.

"That's too close; we'll never outrun them with the jeeps so heavily loaded." Troy looked pointedly at the three Germans.

Karl translated everything that was said in a whisper to his friends.

"They are going to kill us." Fritz moaned.

"Get the prisoners out of the jeep." Troy ordered.

Hitch and Tully hurried to carry out the order. Both privates stayed well clear of Gunter.

"Take them over to those rocks and make them sit." Troy waved at a cluster of rocks.

"What are you going to do Troy?" Moffitt asked as the privates carried out the orders.

"We're going to leave them here." Troy explained in a loud voice. "Maybe seeing them will distract the column long enough for us to sneak away. Without them the jeeps won't be overloaded and we won't have any trouble outrunning them."

"They'll tell the column that we were here." Hitch pointed out.

"So what?" Troy growled. "They won't be able to catch us. We can get a head start while the column is picking up these three and listening to their story. We're out a few prisoners but they probably don't have any information of value anyway."

Hitch looked over at Tully and popped a bubble. "The jeeps are ready Sarge."

"Do you want to leave them a canteen?" Tully asked as he tried to hide his grin.

"No, the column can give them all of the water they need." Troy decided. "If it looks like the column might miss them they can dig up the foil from our rations and use the sun to signal for help. They'll be fine Tully; we need to worry about us."

"Right Sarge."

"Let's go before we have to fight our way out of here." Troy slid into the jeep and waited for the others to join him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Murder in Name Only**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 7

The two jeeps drove away leaving the bound prisoners sitting in stunned silence.

"They left us to die of thirst." Gunter growled as the jeeps vanished over the dunes.

"We won't die." Karl argued. "Our column is coming."

"What if they don't see us?" Fritz asked. "We need to walk out to meet them."

"We'll wait here." Karl said. "They are probably coming to investigate the ambush. They will come here and find us."

"And if they don't?" Gunter asked.

"The Americans buried the foil packets from their rations." Karl reminded them. "We can use the foil to reflect the sun and draw the attention of the column. When they come to investigate they will rescue us."

Gunter laughed. "The Americans are not so smart after all."

"And not as blood thirsty; they didn't kill us." Karl pointed out.

"All right, I admit, I may have been wrong about that." Gunter said. "But they did leave us here to die."

"Only if we are too foolish to save ourselves." Karl argued. "They said the column would find us. If they really wanted us to die they would have allowed the jackals to kill us."

"Then why leave us here?" Fritz asked.

"They want us to delay the column while they escape." Karl explained. "They said that their vehicles could easily outrun our column since they no longer have the extra weight. The sergeant explained it all to his drivers."

Fritz laughed in relief. "We are alive and we are not going to end up in an American POW camp. This will be a story I can tell my grandchildren."

"Only if we are not foolish enough to allow that column to miss us." Karl noted. "We need to dig out that foil and signal that column."

The column commander immediately ordered his column to slow down and proceed with caution. The reflection they had spotted was near their destination and he didn't want to lead his column into another trap. The line of armored vehicles stopped well clear of the hills while the commander studied the area with binoculars.

The three men who walked out to meet the column had an incredible tale to tell. Not only had they survived the attack on the convoy but they had survived an encounter with the Allied unit known as the Rat Patrol. By the time they finished their tale the commander decided that it was too late to give chase. The Allies already had a head start and his heavy halftracks could not hope to catch the faster jeeps. Instead he chose to examine the scene of the ambush and question the only available survivors. Later they could tell their tale to Captain Dietrich.

As the three prisoners walked out to meet the column they were unaware that other eyes watched them too.

"Is this more like the ending that you had in mind?" Moffitt asked as he lowered his field glasses.

"Yeah, I like this one better." Sam Troy answered with a grin.

"I think the lads caught on rather quickly to what you had in mind." The Brit suggested with a smile.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Doctor." Troy replied innocently. "I made a command decision based on the factors available at the time."

"Is that the story you are going to tell the Captain?"

Troy shrugged. "I suppose that if word were to get out that we released them if would be better if the Captain already knew about it."

"Who would tell him? Hitch and Tully wouldn't say a word if you told them to keep it to themselves."

"Some German prisoner might let it slip and the wrong person might hear it." Troy explained. "Karl is smart enough to have explained it to the others in a way that looks legitimate but I'd still rather have the Captain hear our version first."

Moffitt nodded. "You planned that very well."

"Planned what?"

"Exactly." The Brit smiled. "Even Hitch and Tully can't say with any certainty that it wasn't a last minute decision."

Troy looked over at Moffitt and smiled. "Maybe we should get out of here before that column commander decides to give chase."

"We can outrun them easily." Moffitt smiled. "After all, we're back to two men to a jeep and no prisoners to worry about."

"Exactly." Troy repeated Moffitt's earlier response.

The two sergeants slid backwards until they could stand without exposing themselves and then ran for the waiting jeeps. Both privates reached for the starters and both engines fired quietly.

"Let's roll." Troy called as he slid into his seat.

"Did our prisoners make it back to the column?" Hitch asked without looking at Troy.

"Yeah, they did."

"We can travel a lot faster without them." Hitch continued.

"Yeah, that was the idea behind letting them go." Troy grunted.

"I guess they'll delay the column for a while."

"Hopefully." Troy agreed.

"Then it all worked out."

"What are you saying Hitch?" Troy turned in his seat to look at his driver.

"Nothing Sarge; I'm just glad to be rid of the extra weight and the need to keep an eye on prisoners all the time. Are we headed home now?"

"Unless you want to challenge that column." Troy confirmed.

"Not me Sarge, they know we're out here. We wouldn't have the element of surprise on our side." Hitch blew a big bubble and popped it with a satisfying snap.

In the other jeep Tully was chewing on his matchstick and watching Moffitt out of the corner of his eye.

"Say it Tully." Moffitt ordered after catching yet another glance in his direction.

"Say what Doc?"

"Whatever is on your mind. Something is bothering you."

"No." Tully shook his head. "I'm good."

"Really?"

"Really." Tully assured him.

"No comments about releasing the prisoners?"

"Nope." Tully grinned. "Sarge explained his reasoning at the time. We trust Sarge to know what he's doing."

"I agree." Moffitt answered gratefully.

"So we're all good?"

"Yes Tully." Moffitt sighed. "We're all good."

Tully grinned at his sergeant and concentrated on his driving.


End file.
